On Tuesday 19 November 2019 the Centre of Procurement Excellence presented the inaugural Commonwealth Procurement Awards for Excellence. Nominations reflected the diverse nature of Commonwealth procurement and award recipients demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership and excellence in procurement.
Photo of award recipients with Andrew Jaggers, Deputy Secretary, Department of Finance.
Building Entity Capability
Winner – Australian Taxation Office
The Australian Taxation Office developed and implemented a procurement capability framework, designed to support a contemporary, collaborative and agile workforce by focusing on the skills, behaviours and knowledge required now and in the future. The program of work also resulted in a cultural shift regarding how learning and long-term capability maintenance is approached.
Photo of Building Entity Capability winners – Australian Taxation Office
Engaging with Small and Medium Enterprises
Winner – Department of Defence
The Department of Defence has a unique and significant procurement footprint across Australia, including in regional and remote areas through their base services and infrastructure contracts. Defence embraced the opportunity to partner with small and indigenous business to design and operate a procurement environment that supports small and local business participation in procurement contracts either as prime contractors or through sub-contracting arrangements within the supply chain.
Photo of Engaging with Small and Medium Enterprises winners – Department of Defence
Engaging with Risk
Honourable Mention – National Measurement Institute
The National Measurement Institute worked with a Perth based small and medium enterprise to develop a prototype alternative to traditional steel measures used for testing the accuracy of fuel dispensers. The innovative design mitigated existing and potential workplace risks by significantly reducing the weight of the measurement components, increased opportunities for diversity in employment and introduced enhanced fuel spill prevention mechanisms.
Photo of Engaging with Risk Honourable Mention recipients – National Measurement Institute
Delivering Innovation through Procurement
Winner – Attorney General’s Department and Department of Finance
The Attorney General’s Department collaborated with the Department of Finance to establish the first whole of Australian Government Legal Services Panel. The Legal Services Panel sets the blueprint for procuring professional services for the Commonwealth and is the result of extensive stakeholder engagement, qualitative data analysis and innovation in access to commercial information.
Photo of joint Delivering Innovation through Procurement winners – Attorney General’s Department and Department of Finance
Highly Commended – Department of Defence
The Department of Defence collaborated with the business community to re-design specification and management of technical data and intellectual property in Defence contracts.
This innovative initiative has resulted in significantly reduced contract negotiation timeframes by working with business to clearly define appropriate ownership, use and treatment of intellectual property and the technical data early in the procurement process.
Photo of Delivering Innovation through Procurement Highly Commended recipients – Department of Defence
